Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-12-24
TRAVELLERS In PERIL.
TWO RAILWAY DISASTERS AND MANY
PEOPLE WOUNDED.

But by Miraculous Good Fortune the
Death List Is Light-A Train Load of
Excursionists Piled in a Heap-Wonder-
full Escape of n Babe-Lists Of the Vic
tims-Losses Of Life at Sea-
CHICAGO, Dec. A.-At 1918 o'clock FRI
day morning the St Paul day express to
Chicago on the Minnesota & Northwestern
railroad, met with terrible accident after
crossing Otter creek, between German VAL
ley and Melton station, about ninety-six
miles north of this city. The train was COM
posed of an engine, tender, baggage, emil
grant coach, one flrst-class day coach, a
Mann buffet car, and three sleepers. There
were about 40 passengers on the train, over
seventy of whom occupied the sleepers and
parlor cars, while the remainder were di-
vided between the emigrant and first-class
day coaches At the time of the accident the
train was running at the rate OF twenty-five
miles an hour Aftor crossing Otter creek
creek coming south, there is a curve, and it
was upon this that the accident took place.
The rails had spread, but the engine and
tender passed over safely.
The bridge over Otter creek is about fff-
teen feet high, and the locomotive had only
proceeded about two hundred feet when the
wheels of the tender jumped the track. The
baggage, emigrant and first-class cars were
thrown off the track in the shape OF a TRAN
gle on enc side Of the track. Two Of the
sleepers were thrown on their sides on the
other side, while the buffet-car lay at the
- 80 he ,aI cia oy,a Of
the latter remaining on the track with its
fore trucks gone The tender chung to the
engine until it reached the cut about l., 900
feet from the bridge, where it came TO dead
stop in a snow drift The emigrant scooped
along on its wild career even after its trucks
were gone, and plowed through the mud for
at least four lengths, filling it nearly half full
Of dirt. The ends of the car were crushed
out and it fell on its side. The first-class
car was also overturned, and the ends of all
the cars were broken out, while the steps
were twisted out of shape
All of the passengers received very Sc
we're shaking up, and about thirty were hurt
more or less, but only one, so far as known
was dangerously injured. This was lady
from Winnipeg, who was hurt in the back
and sides She was left at a farmhouse near
the scene Of the accident and it is believed
that her injuries will prove fatal The
passengers were mostly excursiouists from
Winnipeg en- route to Canada to spend
Christmas
As soon as the passengers were able to eI-
tricate themselves from the wreck, a number
of them went TO Melton station to telegraph
their friends OF the accident, but that they
were safe The operator refused to send
their messages, though some of them were
of the most urgent character. No relief
train arrived until s O'Clock, the cars with
surgeons, ETC., being attached to the regular
day express north. As soon as possible after
the arrival Of the train the passengers were
transferred to new cars and taken to Chicago
where they arrived at $50 o'clock Friday
evening. Miss frankie Hume, of Dubuque,
| la, who was badly hurt about the head and
hips, was quite cheerful She was in the day
| coach and was thrown over twice, landing
on the head of Mr. Hanna, of Manitoba.
Little James Cagley, who was with hi!
father, is but years old, and received very
severe scalp wound, but will recover The
little fellow was very patient, though suf
fering severely.
Mr.. B. F. Mason, of Minneapolis, has g
badly cut head He was rather too weak t.
say much about the accident
The following is the list Of the wounded
D. C. Abraham, Minneapolis, wrist cut; A
Scromgrom, st. Paul, wrist and thig
bruised and scratched; A. Kemp, Devil
Lake, D. T., bruised on head; Mrs Norwood
Forest River, D. T., cut on the head. Mr..
Archibald Chisholm, knee sprained; Mr..
James Brett, Park River. D. T., bac
sprained; Ada H. Tuttie, MIME
apolis, arm sprsined and slightl
scratched on the limbs and face; B.
Mason, Minneapolis, severe scalp woun
and left leg badly bruised; Mrs. B. F. Mason
bruised on shoulder and confusion on BAG
of head; John Costello, Mimic, D. T., lei
shoulder and arm bruised; Mr.. Cagley
Mimic, D. T, knee sprained; James A. Ware
Minneapolis, several slight bruises; E. 4
Lilly, Minneapolis, bruised on head; A Fl
tenstein, Chicago, right foot cut; Miss Fran
Hume, Commissions on head and arm
and hip seriously injured; ".
Hoover. Bottineau, D. T., face and ar
badly scratched; Walter Setter, St Pau
slight Commissions on head, arm and kne
Mrs ID. McBayDe, Bottineau, Oak, cut {
, left wrist; Daniel Vollick, lie Sueur, MINI
bruised on back Of head; F. W. Youn
Chicago, left leg injured; James A. Gu
bingham, Leedsburg, OAK, breast and bat
Of head bruised; Thomas Atkinson, Willo
City, Dals shoulders and neck bruised; Mr.
, L C. Mcintyre, Winnipeg, slightly injure
: C. F. Andrews, St Paul, right hand cut;
, Girdlestone, cut on cheek bone and KIN
i bruised; Mrs. NJ. Conway, Winnipeg, bruis
on head and arm badly cut; Andrew Lain
Pembina, right shoulder hurt; Engine
, Fish, Mouse River, D. T., cut with glass al
, hip injured by water-tank; Alexand
Forbes, Nova Scotia, cut in head and shot
der; A F. Broad, Freeport, Ills, seven Gu
in head and legs and burned; Mrs. Maize
Cavalier county, Dakota, left side bad
bruised; Mrs John McGuffin, hip and ba
badly bruised and iniured internallv